Small cars, big tech: 2014 Kia Soul Exclaim

[Note: This is the next in a series of blog posts about small cars with big technology. The kind of convenient, technology-based features once only found in expensive luxury cars have finally found their way into smaller, cheaper vehicles. While I’m not an automotive reviewer, I will write a bit about performance, comfort, fit and finish, but the emphasis here will be on the technology found in these cars. You can read the previous entrieshere. – D.S.]

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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The familiar "smile" grill and wraparound headlights. Yeah, this is definitely a Soul.

The familiar "smile" grill and wraparound headlights. Yeah, this is definitely a Soul.

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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The lines have been smoothed out. More refined, or more generic?

The lines have been smoothed out. More refined, or more generic?

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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The familiar tall tail lights are now brighter, thanks to LED bulbs.

The familiar tall tail lights are now brighter, thanks to LED bulbs.

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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The rear hatch has a modular look.

The rear hatch has a modular look.

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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Leather interior gives it a plush, upscale look.

Leather interior gives it a plush, upscale look.

Photo: Kia

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The 8-inch touchscreen is bigger than many tablets. There's another LED screen in behind the steering wheel.

The 8-inch touchscreen is bigger than many tablets. There's another LED screen in behind the steering wheel.

Photo: Kia

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The button layout is intuitive around the touchscreen, but there are quite a few of them.

The button layout is intuitive around the touchscreen, but there are quite a few of them.

Photo: Kia

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Does this look like Android to you? You can reorder icons by dragging and dropping them.

Does this look like Android to you? You can reorder icons by dragging and dropping them.

Photo: Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle

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Another view of the inside.

Another view of the inside.

Photo: Kia

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Red, from the rear.

Red, from the rear.

Photo: Kia

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Do you like this yellow color? Looks like a school bus to me.

Do you like this yellow color? Looks like a school bus to me.

Photo: Kia

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I really like the central panel on the rear hatch, which breaks up the lines a bit.

I really like the central panel on the rear hatch, which breaks up the lines a bit.

Photo: Kia

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The panoramic moon roof is even more impressive inside the car.

The panoramic moon roof is even more impressive inside the car.

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Yes, you can still get a Soul in that Alien Green color.

Yes, you can still get a Soul in that Alien Green color.

Photo: Kia

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Red from above.

Red from above.

Photo: Kia

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Yellow profile

Yellow profile

Photo: Kia

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Alien Green profile.

Alien Green profile.

Photo: Kia

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Small cars, big tech: 2014 Kia Soul Exclaim

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When I began this series of reviews of small, inexpensive cars with big technology, I was anxious to get my hands on the Kia Soul, and not just because I was interested in buying one to replace my 2001 Ford Mustang. It seemed like the kind of vehicle that defined the category I was reviewing.

After all, Kia markets this to young, savvy urbanites. It’s inexpensive but nicely appointed, with a good sound system and decent in-dash tech as key selling features. I drove the 2013 Soul Exclaim in July, and while I indeed liked it, a teeth-rattling ride and less-than-stellar MPG numbers dampened my enthusiasm.

But hope was on the horizon. Kia redesigned the Soul for 2014, reportedly taming the ride and upgrading the tech. When a 2014 review vehicle came available, I jumped at the chance to follow up.

Kia loaned me another high-end, loaded Exclaim model (designated as the “Soul !”), with a sticker price of $26,195. That’s a bit higher than I’d like – I try to keep the cars in this series under $25,000. I’d probably go for a Soul Plus model, outfitted with the right packages for around $21,000. It’s a lot of car for a relatively small amount of coin.

The redesign of the Soul’s skin smoothed out its lines, made it slightly longer and a little wider. It’s definitely recognizable as a Soul, but it looks a little more refined – and as a result, doesn’t quite have as much character as the original. My wife, who didn’t like the style of the original, thinks the 2014 looks better, but only because it seems more “generic”, she says.

I still love the overall look, particularly the sleeker wraparound headlights and LED-based, tall tail lights. As I wrote in the 2013 review, the Soul’s appearance is nothing if not polarizing.

The 2014 Soul Plus and Exclaim models are powered by a 2.0-liter, 164-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine that sports nearly identical specs to the 2013 version. The base Soul has a 1.6-liter, 132-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine that’s slightly less powerful than last year’s. The base Soul is the only model available with a standard transmission – the two upper trims have a six-speed automatic. Given how much fun a six-speed standard was in the Fiat 500L I reviewed in September – which is a very similar car to the Soul – that’s too bad. I think pairing the more powerful engine with a smooth-shifting manual would be big fun.

The Exclaim I drove had respectable power, but also an odd quirk. When I mashed down on the gas for quick acceleration, there was a brief pause – just a beat – before the engine obeyed. This didn’t present any problems with highway on-ramps, but it was annoying when it happened. When I stomp the gas pedal, I expect instant gratification.

The Soul Exclaim came with leather seats and a so-called “panoramic” moon roof that extends nearly the entire length of the car. Its cover rolls into a compartment in the back, like a window shade. (This feature is also available on the Fiat 500L, though not the model I drove.) The seating was firm and comfortable in the front and back, and there was plenty of legroom in the rear. The front seats are both heated and ventilated, the latter would be a big help after getting into a Soul parked under a ferocious Houston summer sun. The cool air on my back felt good as I headed home after an evening at the gym, too.

The ride was indeed much improved over the 2013 model, but it still felt truck-like on rough pavement. The Exclaim I tested had 18-inch wheels – I’m curious to see what the ride is like on lower-end models with smaller tires (16- and 17-inch wheels are available on the lower-end models).

Wind and road noise were minimal, and overall the car felt solid on turns. You’re able to change the steering wheel’s resistance at three settings – Normal, Sport and Comfort. I stayed with Normal and Sport most of the time, as Comfort came close to feeling mushy.

For 2014, Kia has increased the size of the touchscreen to a whopping eight inches, the largest dash display I’ve tried so far. That’s bigger than an iPad Mini or a Nexus 7 tablet. Having that much visual real estate makes it easy to see at a glance what’s going on, whether you want to see what artist is playing on the Sirius XM radio, or need to check your location on the navigation system’s map.

The touchscreen is very responsive, and the computer powering it is peppier than in any other car I’ve tested so far. Often, automotive touchscreens don’t respond right away when tapped, and their processors can be maddeningly slow. That was not the case with the new Soul’s screen, which was a joy to use.

Kia’s calls its in-dash tech Uvo, and the 2014 Soul has a complete reworking of the operating system that powers it. Previously, Uvo used Microsoft software, but now it’s Android-based. It still looks like an automobile operating system – you wouldn’t recognize it as Android – but there are some subtle differences that show its roots as designed-for-touch software. For example, if you want to reorder the screen of apps that are available, you can drag-and-drop them into position.

As in the previous Soul, the 2014 model’s touchscreen controls most of the car’s cabin systems – climate, audio sources, Bluetooth, navigation and more. The interface is intuitive and simple. A separate, smaller LED screen sites between the analog speedometer and tachometer, providing trip-meter, MPG data and a second view of turn-by-turn directions.

The 2014 Soul is the first car I’ve tested that has decent voice recognition. Previous tested cars, including the 2013 Soul, are so bad at processing speech that the feature is pretty much worthless. That’s not the case with the 2014 model, which got voice commands right about 75 percent of the time – an excellent ratio. Not only that, but when speaking street names and cities while navigating, it almost always did so correctly.

How good was this text-to-speech feature of the navigation system? I was stunned when, on an overnight drive down to Corpus Christi, the car said the name of Refugio correctly. (It’s pronounced “re-FYUR-ee-o”.) I was floored. Sadly, I did not have a chance to drive it down Houston’s Kuykendahl street.

Unfortunately, you can’t use your smartphone’s Internet connection to provide data to the Soul’s Uvo system. However, it can get some information, such as traffic and weather, via the Sirius XM service – which you’ll have to pay for after the free trial period ends. When you do, it’s worthwhile – the traffic info, for example, will alert you to problems on your route and will offer to reroute you automatically well in advance. It also can pull in the Pandora music service, again without using your tethered smartphone.

As with the 2013 model, Kia hypes the Soul’s sound system and enhanced lighting. The higher-end Soul comes with an optional, beefy Infinity audio system and, of course, the trademark, cheesy lights around the front door speakers that pulse in time to music. To my ears, the sound in the 2013 Soul was better, but I’m not complaining – the 2014’s sound is still excellent. One improvement: You no longer have to use a special adapter to connect an iOS device to the included USB port in the Soul.

The model I tested was equipped with the keyless remote and push button start. When you lock the Soul, the side mirrors fold in. When you return to the vehicle and get close enough, the car senses the remote key fob and the side mirrors fold out. I got the feeling the Soul was greeting me when I walked up to it.

As with the previous Soul, there’s not much space in the rear hatch until you fold down the back seats, and then you’ve got a decent amount of storage. The option package in my review unit added multiple power outlets, including one in the right side of the rear hatch. Clearly, this is a vehicle designed for tailgating.

I would have fallen hard for the 2014 Soul but for one big drawback – its gas mileage was disappointing. It’s rated 23 in the city and 31 on the highway, but the best I could eke out in town was 19 MPG. On my road trip to Corpus Christi, I maxed out at 29 MPG.

The Exclaim model has an optional feature that, like some hybrid cars, will shut down the engine at stop lights, restarting it when you hit the gas. But the city-MPG rating with this feature included is only 24 MPG, so it likely wouldn’t have helped that much.

Were it not for the gas mileage, the 2014 Soul might have topped my wish list. It’s an excellent car at a great price, but this kind of gas mileage is a deal killer for me.

Memo to Kia: I’d be very interested in a hybrid Soul, which might help with the mileage issue. Maybe we can talk again in 2015?

Dwight Silverman | Techblogger, social media manager

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